Home Run Derby

So the word from the NY Daily News is that Kimberly Bell - Barry Bonds’ mistress from 1994 to 2003 - is writing a tell-all book about her experience with Bonds … ranging from steroids, details of their relationship, and her testimony in the BALCO grand jury case two years ago …

And in an effort to promote that book, it will come out right around the time Bonds will be vying to break the all-time Home Run record. 

Plus she’s apparently willing to do a nude pictorial for the highest bidder.

Now, as Bonds moves closer to breaking Hank Aaron’s home run record, the 37-year-old Bell is ready to spill more.  The brunette stunner is also ready to give sports fans a look at the body that distracted Bonds from two of his wives. 

Besides her hot physique, Bell is offering love notes from Bonds, phone messages and testimony she gave to the FBI in the BALCO steroids trafficking case.

Looking at the glamour shot above, I’d guess most male sports fans might be lining up for that pictorial.  Until they see what she’s hiding behind her back …

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First, the Milwaukee Brewers had the Racing Sausages.  A fabulously original idea to take the racing dots off the scoreboard and turn them into anthropomorphic characters who race around a Baseball Stadium. 

And perfect for the Brat and Beer town that is Milwaukee. 

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I think it was Deadspin who once said …

“Drunk Red Sox fan videos must be featured“

I think it’s become an unofficial bylaw of running a Baseball Blog. 

Well, those guys over at Deadspin seem to know what they’re doing … so who are we at Home Run Derby not to follow that rule?  Especially when there’s video of a drunken Boston Red Sox fangirl chugging a cup of mustard (on a $35 bet) at Camden Yards in Baltimore last September.

People will do anything for money … especially when they’ve had too much to drink.  And the internets would be pretty boring without them. 

I would have been impressed if she was drinking the awesome Stadium Mustard from Cleveland.  

Simply the Best Mustard in America.

That’s my brother-in-law with the Stadium Mustard moustache. 

So at the Cub game last night, former White Sox pitchers (now in Cub uniforms) Scott Eyre and Bobby Howry went out of their way to make their former White Sox fans happy by giving up six runs to the Rockies, blowing a five-run Cub lead in the top of the ninth inning …

So of course, some Wrigley drunkard decided to try make Howry feel like he was back at the Cell …

That security guy did that drunkard a favor.  One finger on Howry and that guy would have been made a semi-permanent fixture on the infield grass when the rest of the Cubs got there.

Stay in your seats, people.  Or they’re gonna cut beer off earlier in the game.

Thanks to Bret for the YouTube tip … I could have done without that guy’s commentary during the clip.

Moment of Silence

for the Shooter …

Rod Beck

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In these Derby updates, I usually put up a pic related to whoever’s leading the Home Run Derby contest and start with the top three in the standings.

Not this week.  This week time we chronicle the fact that the sun can shine on a dog’s ass every once in a while.  The last place Komodos led the Derby this week with 25 Home Runs and are only one Home Run away from leaving the Komodo-hole that is last place.  This week was really weird.  Not only did the Komodos lead all comers, but only one other team was within 7 Home Runs of the Komodos. 

No changes at the top of the leaderboard this week as The Master-Batters (239 HR), Triple Crown (232 HR), and The Great Hambino (227 HR) are heading toward the money … for now.

Worst week was a four-way 9 HR tie between Fiesta, 100 Years is Easy, Weis One, and the second-place Triple Crown.  Triple Crown seems to be on a mission to plummet from the first-half money.

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Kali Speta! Yep, its Friday and it’s time for Gyros Thursday. Nick the Greek got stuck out East with a cancelled flight earlier this week, so I am a day off on my internal calendar. So let’s get started.

Ding: It is a Cubs-Sox series weekend, and I have to say…who really cares? The Sox suck. The Cubs suck. Only 5 more weeks until the Bears start training camp. I am looking forward to the first “Devin Hester…you are ridiculous!” call by Jeff Joniak (not to be confused with my old fraternity brother Jeff Janiak).

Ding: Can we officially dump all that Cubs Kool-Aid everyone was drinking? Eight games under .500 … season is over folks. Turn your attention to tracking Barrett vs Bowen stats for the rest of the year. And if you are a Sox fan, add the two together and see how badly AJ Pierzynski beat them combined.

Ding: Speaking of catchers, the Italiarican mentioned in a comment on the Barrett post that it is easier to replace a catcher than a pitcher, and I ask the audience … is it?

Jason Kendall is a starting catcher, as is Rob Bowen or Koyie Hill. In fact some of the crummiest offensive players out there are catchers: Miguel Olivo, Ramon Hernandez, Gerald Laird, Josh Bard. Now I know what to do with my 20 month old son, Sam. Honey, we are getting Sam a mask, some shinguards and a chest protector. He is going to catch. And we need to have him swing the bat left handed too.

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As kids playing baseball in yard with our Dad (or Mom), daydreaming on the Little League bench, or playing with friends in the vacant lot down at the end of the block … we all dreamed of experiencing Baseball’s ultimate glory on the grandest of all stages …

Hitting a Game-Winning Home Run in the World Series. If it was a Walk-Off Home Run … that was even better.  Even though the term walk-off wasn’t around when I was a kid.

Home Run Derby presents the Greatest Walk-Off Home Runs in World Series History.  Courtesy of YouTube.  In no particular order …

2005 World Series - Game Two.

Houston Astros at Chicago White Sox

Lidge blows it again

Leadoff man Scott Podsednik hit exactly zero Home Runs in the 2005 regular season for the White Sox. So after the Astros tied the game in the top of the ninth, Scotty Pods provided the most unlikely Walk-Off Homer in World Series history.

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The Chicago Cubs have traded catcher Michael Barrett to the San Diego Padres.

The Cubs will get Padres backup catcher Rob Bowen, minor league outfielder Kyler Burke, and possibly some cash.

A lot of people are saying the Cubs didn’t get enough for Barrett.  I don’t think so.  The Cubs tried to make a lateral move here to remove a catcher who’s become a distraction in their clubhouse. 

I’m surprised at what they got in return.  They got a decent replacement for Barrett and got a early 2006 2nd Round pick (albeit a project) in return.

This season, Rob Bowen has better offensive stats (except for Home Runs) than Barrett while playing at pitcher-friendly Petco Park.  He has a career .273 AVG and .442 SLG at Petco, which rank him 12th best for hitters with at least 75 At-Bats at Petco.  Playing full-time at Wrigley Field could improve those numbers - just as they did when Barrett came to the Cubs from Montreal (.253 AVG / .388 SLG with Montreal and  .284 /.484 with the Cubs).

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Sammy Sosa is about to become only the fifth player in Major League Baseball history to swat 600 Home Runs.

Home Run Derby thinks that’s a big deal.

In some form of baseball irony, Sosa could hit #600 against the Chicago Cubs, for whom he hit 545 of his 599 Home Runs. It would be his first career Home Run against the Cubs.

In preparation for this event, here’s a look back at Sosa’s career by way of his baseball cards whenever his Home Run odometer clicked over a new digit.

We’ll even throw in the pitchers who provided the opportunity.

Home Run #1 - June 21, 1989

Why not start off against a legend in the making? Sosa’s very first Home Run was hit off Roger Clemens.

The rookie Ranger hit a solo shot in the 4th inning of a 10-4 win over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Home Run #100 - May 14, 1995

Sosa turned the Century mark against another legendary pitcher, Trevor Hoffman, the future all-time saves leader.

Sosa hit a Home Run in the ninth inning during a 7-9 loss to the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field.

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